Timisnar - Biomarkers Substudy (Timisnar-mirna)

Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCHT) followed by surgery is the mainstay treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer, leading to significant decrease in tumor size (downsizing) and a shift towards earlier disease stage in the primary tumor and lymph nodes (downstaging). Extensive histopathological work-up of the tumor specimen after surgery including tumor regression grading (TRG) and lymph node status (ypN) helped to visualize individual tumor sensitivity to CRT retrospectively. Since the response to nCHT is heterogeneous, however, valid biomarkers are needed to monitor tumor response. A relevant number of studies aimed to identify molecular markers retrieved from tumor tissue while the relevance of blood-based biomarkers is less stringent assessed. As a potential alternative to CEA and ctDNA, microRNAs (miRNAs) are currently under investigation to serve as blood-based biomarkers. miRNAs are small, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression by post-transcriptional mRNA binding, which promotes the destabilization of target miRNAs. The target specificity of miRNAs is largely predetermined by their so-called "seed-sequence" (containing nucleotides at position 2-7 of the miRNA). They are highly conserved between species, stable and easy detectable even in small concentrations. They have been widely analyzed in physiological and pathological processes, and their expression is tissue specific.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* Age \>18 years
* cT3/4N0/+M0 confirmed on CT-scan, MRI (stratification for T3a-b-c-d)
* Histologically-proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum
* Eligible for a resective surgery with TME
* Eligible for chemoradiation treatment

Exclusion Criteria:

* Metastatic disease
* Squamous carcinoma of the anal canal
* Unable to complete neoadjuvant treatment

• RESULTYu J, Li N, Wang X, Ren H, Wang W, Wang S, Song Y, Liu Y, Li Y, Zhou X, Luo A, Liu Z, Jin J. Circulating serum microRNA-345 correlates with unfavorable pathological response to preoperative chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Oncotarget. 2016 Sep 27;7(39):64233-64243. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.11649. PMID 27572313
• RESULTDayde D, Tanaka I, Jain R, Tai MC, Taguchi A. Predictive and Prognostic Molecular Biomarkers for Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation in Rectal Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Mar 7;18(3):573. doi: 10.3390/ijms18030573. PMID 28272347
• RESULTRampazzo E, Del Bianco P, Bertorelle R, Boso C, Perin A, Spiro G, Bergamo F, Belluco C, Buonadonna A, Palazzari E, Lonardi S, De Paoli A, Pucciarelli S, De Rossi A. The predictive and prognostic potential of plasma telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) RNA in rectal cancer patients. Br J Cancer. 2018 Mar 20;118(6):878-886. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2017.492. Epub 2018 Feb 15. PMID 29449673
• RESULTAugestad KM, Merok MA, Ignatovic D. Tailored Treatment of Colorectal Cancer: Surgical, Molecular, and Genetic Considerations. Clin Med Insights Oncol. 2017 Feb 16;11:1179554917690766. doi: 10.1177/1179554917690766. eCollection 2017. PMID 28469509
• RESULTDrebber U, Lay M, Wedemeyer I, Vallbohmer D, Bollschweiler E, Brabender J, Monig SP, Holscher AH, Dienes HP, Odenthal M. Altered levels of the onco-microRNA 21 and the tumor-supressor microRNAs 143 and 145 in advanced rectal cancer indicate successful neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Int J Oncol. 2011 Aug;39(2):409-15. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2011.1036. Epub 2011 May 10. PMID 21567082
• RESULTDella Vittoria Scarpati G, Falcetta F, Carlomagno C, Ubezio P, Marchini S, De Stefano A, Singh VK, D'Incalci M, De Placido S, Pepe S. A specific miRNA signature correlates with complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2012 Jul 15;83(4):1113-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2011.09.030. Epub 2011 Dec 13.